Past and Present- Story Seven: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: Hawke's ex-girlfriend solicits his help when she's being threatened by a developer who wants to purchase her land. However, her hidden agenda could pose a problem for Caitlin. (You will have to read Blinded by the Light to understand the Hawke/Caitlin relationship in this story.)
1. Chapter 1

_FYI: The girlfriend mentioned is a made up character and not one that I ever saw in the series._

**Chapter 1**

Hawke and Caitlin breezed into Santini Air after returning from their vacation in Sanibel Island, Florida the night before. Caitlin picked up the mail and began sorting through it while Hawke checked the list of repairs that Dom had left for them.

"It's really hard to come back to work after two weeks off," said Caitlin. "I have to say, that was the best vacation I think I've ever had. And I'm even including spring break when I was in college."

String smiled. "Spring break huh," he replied. "You'll have to tell me about that some time."

Caitlin smiled back at him. "I don't know. That might be one secret you'd want me to keep."

"No way," he replied. "After all the things I told you these past few weeks, it's your turn to share."

Caitlin didn't mind sharing anything with Hawke. Since the trip, she had never felt more confident in their relationship. They had some serious conversations and she was finally beginning to understand what made him tick. She knew from this point on, they were in it for the long run.

"Hawke, what do you think we should do about my apartment?" she asked. "I already signed the lease for a year."

"Are you trying to change the subject?" he asked while moving behind her and kissing her on the cheek.

Caitlin laughed. "No, I promise I'll share that story with you later. I was just thinking about the apartment."

"That's no problem," he replied. "Since it's so close by, whenever we work late, we'll just stay at your place. That is if you don't mind me leaving some of my things there."

Caitlin handed him the portion of the mail that had Hawke's name on it. "You can leave anything you want there," she replied with a smile.

Before she could continue Dom walked into Santini Air. "It's about time you two got back to work," he grumbled. "I thought I was going to have to hire some outside help to get things done around here."

"Nice to see you too, Dom," said Caitlin. She walked over to her friend and gave him a hug.

She always knew exactly how to get to Dom. He was gruff with her at times but she knew his soft side.

Dom smiled at her."How was the trip?" he asked.

"Oh it was great until the last day," she replied. "It rained all day."

"I think that was the best day of the whole trip," Hawke spoke up.

"But Hawke, we didn't even get out of our room," she replied.

"I know," he said, winking at her.

"Very funny," she replied. "Let's get to work."

Hawke began looking through his mail and came across a letter with familiar handwriting. He opened it and after reading it, he sat quiet.

"What's wrong?" asked Caitlin. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hawke gave her a somber look. "I have in a way," he replied. "It's from Kim Miller."

"Oh, isn't that the lady you dated that owns some kind of kid's ranch?" she asked, recalling one of the stories about his ex-girlfriends that he had shared with her while on vacation.

"Yeah, it's about a hundred miles south of here," he said. "She's having some problems and is asking for my help."

He handed Caitlin the letter to read.

The letter explained that Kim was being pressured from a local developer to sell her land to them. Since she has refused, accidents have been occurring on her ranch. She asked that Hawke come out and help her with the situation for the sake of the kids.

"I hate it when big business tries to overrun the little guy," said Caitlin. "Are you going to go and help her?"

"What!" yelled Dom. "I need help here first, you just got back. You can't go gallivanting off somewhere else right now."

Hawke smiled. "How about we get things caught up here first and then we all go out there and see what we can do to help?"

"Humph," said Dom. "Oh, why not. I wouldn't mind a little change of scenery."

Caitlin smiled. "Sounds good to me," she said. "You know how much I love to ride horses."

Dom looked at her a moment and then asked, "You don't mind this being one of String's ex-girlfriends?"

"Why would I?" she asked in return. "Like you said, it's his ex and well, I'm his current. I have nothing to worry about."

"Boy," Dom replied, shocked by her statement. "That must have been some vacation."

String grinned at his friend. "Oh, believe me, it was," he replied.

Hawke loved this new confidence that Caitlin seemed to possess. He also knew the reason behind it. For once, someone else shared his secrets and understood him. It was a good feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A few days later, Hawke contacted Kim to find out exactly what was going on and how he could be of help to her. After hearing her situation he shared the information with Dom and Caitlin to see if they would still agree to go and help out.

Dom and Caitlin were sitting at the desk sorting through some paperwork when String came out of the back office. "So, what did you find out?" asked Dom. "Does she still want your help?"

"Yeah, she does," replied Hawke. "It seems that ever since she declined this offer on her land, they've had a lot of accidents there."

"What kind of accidents?" Caitlin asked.

"Just some odd occurrences like tools being mysteriously left out which caused one staff member to be impaled in the arm as a result. There was also a fire that was started in one of the staff's quarters as well as one just on the outskirts of the property," replied Hawke. "She said several of her workers have quit as a result."

"Sounds kind of dangerous," replied Dom. "How come the police aren't involved?"

Hawke sighed. "They are but there's no proof that these things aren't just accidents so they told her there wasn't much they could do at this point," he replied.

"Almost sounds like this land developer has someone on the inside helping out," said Caitlin.

"Exactly," replied Hawke. "That's why I told her we would come in as hired help and see what we can find out."

Dom stood up and pointed a finger a Hawke, "Oh no, I'm not going to be some ranch hand and work out in the hot sun," he replied. "I'm getting too old for that."

Hawke laughed. "Don't worry Dom your job will be to work with the staff cook."

Caitlin laughed. "There you go Dom, that's the perfect job for you."

Dom flashed them a dirty look before smiling. "You're right. That sounds perfect."

Caitlin stood up and put her arm around Hawke's waist. "What about me?" she asked.

Hawke smiled. "You'll be one of the caretakers for the horses."

"Okay, I can handle that easily," she replied.

"That's the idea," he said. "Her staff manager quit so she wants me to act as temporary manager working with her to keep things running."

"What about all the kids?" asked Dom.

"That's why this is so urgent," replied String. "They are on a month's hiatus from the kid's day camps they run. We need to get a handle on all this before the kids return in two weeks."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAA

The next morning, the three headed down to Kim Miller Ranch. It was just under a two hour drive and to be less conspicuous, they took Caitlin's car.

"String, how in the world did you meet Kim in the first place?" Caitlin asked.

"Dom and I were doing stunt work about a year before I met you. The production company was using her ranch as a backdrop for their movie," replied Hawke. "We were introduced and just hit it off."

"Yeah, until she got too clingy," Dom spoke up. "She was nice enough and she does a great job with the kids but she always wanted to monopolize String's time."

"Well, that and the fact that it was a long distance relationship caused the relationship to end kind of quickly," Hawke replied. "She was really upset. I guess that's why I was so surprised to get that letter from her."

"Did you tell her about you and Caitlin?" asked Dom.

"Yes, I did," replied Hawke. "But I asked her not to tell the staff that we are a couple. That will make it easier for Caitlin to make friends with them and help find out what's going on."

"Looks like we're almost there," said Dom. "Wait until you see this place Cait, it's a beautiful piece of land. I can see why someone would want to buy it."

A few minutes later they pulled up to the front entrance of the ranch. It was apparent to Caitlin that the place was very well taken care of.

"Wow," said Caitlin. "You're right Dom. This place is phenomenal. I wouldn't want to sell it either."

Kim was waiting for them up at the main house as they pulled up. She walked over to the car and greeted Hawke as he got out. "Right on time Hawke," she said, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It's so great to see you."

"You too," he replied then gestured to his friends. "You remember Dom and this is Caitlin."

She walked over to Dom and gave him a hug as well. "It's great to see you again Mr. Santini and it's nice to meet you Caitlin. I really appreciate you all coming out to help."

Caitlin smiled at her. "I hope we're able to," she said.

"Oh, with Stringfellow Hawke by my side," she replied. "I have no doubt we'll get this taken care of in no time."

Caitlin wasn't sure if she liked the sound of her last comment but she played along. "Yeah, String's known for recuing women in distress."

Hawke laughed. "You two make me sound like Superman." Changing the subject he said, "Kim how about showing us where we'll be staying."

"Certainly," she replied while taking Hawke by the arm and leading him out to the staff quarters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kim first led the group to the staff's women's quarters. She showed Caitlin where she would be sleeping and introduced her to the other horse care taker, Sarah.

"Sarah would you please show Caitlin around and give her the duty roster?" asked Kim. "She'll be taking Lisa's place."

"Sure," said Sarah.

"Great," replied Kim. "This is her uncle Dom. He's going to be working with the cook."

"And who's this?" asked Sarah pointing to Hawke.

"Oh, I'm sorry," replied Kim. "This is an old friend of mine, Stringfellow Hawke. He's going to help me keep things going around here until I hire a new manager."

"It's nice to meet you all," said Sarah. "We can use all the help we can get around here."

Sarah was a young girl about nineteen years old. She eagerly took Caitlin in and showed her around the ranch. They visited the two main stables and saw all of the beautiful horses.

"Wow, this is amazing. How long have you been working here?" Caitlin asked.

"Oh, just about a year now," she replied. "It's a decent place to live and work. Have you had a lot of experience with horses?"

"Oh, I grew up on a farm in Texas," replied Caitlin. "I had several of my own horses. I miss them. I'm really going to enjoy getting a chance to ride."

"That's great," replied Sarah. "It's Tuesday night. All the staff goes riding down by the lake for a bonfire on Tuesday nights. It's one of Kim's ways to keep up employee morale."

"That sounds like fun," said Caitlin.

"It is," she replied. "We go right after dinner. Is your uncle Dom a good cook?"

Caitlin laughed. "Yeah, I think he is," she replied.

A few hours later, the group found themselves eating dinner in the staff quarters and talking about the upcoming horseback ride and bonfire. Some of the staff thought that with all of the recent events they should cancel it but Kim insisted that they continue on as usual. Hawke agreed with her and everyone began to saddle up for the ride.

Since Dom was introduced as Caitlin's uncle, he was able to spend time with her without suspicion. He stayed close to her as they followed the others down the path to the lake. Kim made sure she stayed close to Hawke. Once they got to the lake, a few of the staff members started the bonfire in the already made pit by the water. Caitlin watched as Kim pulled Hawke over to the water to talk.

"You're right," Caitlin said to Dom. "I can see how you think she's a bit clingy. She hasn't' left his side sine we got here."

Dom shook his head. "Yea, I noticed," he replied. "Don't worry String doesn't have any interest in her."

"Oh, I know," said Caitlin. "Hawke's not the one I'm worried about."

"So far, everyone I met seems pretty loyal to Kim," replied Dom. "I think it's going to be hard trying to determine if there's an insider trying to get her to sell out."

"I know what you mean," replied Caitlin. "Apparently employee morale is a big deal with her and she does all these kinds of events regularly to keep her staff happy. I don't think anyone would have quit if it hadn't been for those recent accidents."

Dom and Caitlin enjoyed the next several hours around the fire with the other staff members. They roasted marsh mellows, sang songs and drank beer. Finally, Kim called it a night and the group prepared to ride back up to the ranch.

"Caitlin, can we switch horses for the ride back?" asked Dom. "Mine was getting a bit rowdy on the way down and I noticed your horse was a little calmer."

Cait smiled. "Sure we can," she replied. "I can handle rowdy."

Dom laughed. "Good thing. I don't think my rear can take rowdy tonight."

As the group mounted and headed back to the ranch, Dom was one of the last to climb up. Caitlin mounted the horse Dom had previously ridden and was able to calm it instantly. Dom climbed up but before he could even move the horse forward, it seemed to panic and Dom was thrown off immediately.

"Dom!" screamed Caitlin as she jumped off of her horse and ran over to him. He was lying on his side holding his shoulder.

"Dom! Are you okay?" she asked in a panic. "Are you hurt?"

It took Dom several seconds before he could reply. "I think…I think I jammed my shoulder."

Hawke, Kim and the others heard the commotion and headed back down to the lake. Hawke jumped down and joined his friends.

"What happened?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," replied Dom. "Something seemed to spook my horse."

Caitlin and Sarah calmed Dom's horse and began to inspect the saddle. Caitlin was the first to notice something unusual. Sticking out from around the sides of the saddle were several burs. Caitlin gently pulled them out. Holding them in the palm of her hand she moved back over to the group.

"This is what happened," Caitlin said. "Somehow these burs got under the saddle."

"That's odd," replied Sarah. "There aren't any burs like that in this part of the ranch. I wonder how they got there?"

Dom got up slowly with Hawke's help. "I'm okay now," he said. "It's just a little sore. I don't think I broke anything."

Caitlin fixed Dom's saddle and helped him get back onto the horse. This time the animal was calm as everyone rode back to the ranch house. Before they headed in for the night, Caitlin gave Dom a hug goodnight. "I'm glad you're okay," she said. "I don't think that was any accident. We need to get Hawke alone tomorrow and talk to him about it."

"I agree," replied Dom. "Don't worry though, I'm fine." He smiled at her as they both went to their separate living quarters.

Caitlin opened her duffle bag and took out some sweatpants and a tank top to sleep in. She was happy that her roommate was Sarah since she was so personable. Sarah sat on her bed reading a book as Caitlin climbed into the bed beside her.

"You and your uncle are really close aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," replied Caitlin.

"You're lucky. I use to wish Aunt Kim and I were that close," said Sarah.

The comment took Caitlin by surprise. "Kim is your aunt?" she asked. 'I had no idea."

Sarah sighed. "She doesn't tell many people," she replied. "When my parents died last year she took me in. I was eighteen and had nowhere to go. She says she treats me the way she does in order to not show favoritism to the staff. I personally think she's resents having me here."

Caitlin frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay," she replied. "I'm use to it. I plan to get out of here as soon as I save enough money. For now, the living situation is decent and so is the pay."

"Kim told us about the accidents before she hired us on," said Caitlin. "She wanted us to know what we were getting into. Are you worried about what's been going on?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Not really," she replied. "Accidents happen."

Caitlin lay in bed thinking about the events of the evening as well as Sarah's nonchalant attitude about everything. "I wonder if she knows more than she's saying?" thought Caitlin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Caitlin was up early working with Sarah on the horses and stables. Her only consolation was that Dom had to be up even earlier to help cook breakfast for the staff. Hawke, however, got to sleep late and spent most of the morning walking around and just talking with Kim.

Caitlin was deep in thought as she was brushing one of the horses. "Hmph," she thought. "Of course she gave him the cushy job of spending all that time with her. She's crazy if she thinks she's going to win him back."

Dom came up behind her and startled her. "Penny for your thoughts," he said grinning.

"Dom!" she yelled. "Don't do that."

"You just seemed a mile away," he replied. "Or maybe your mind is with a certain pilot?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I just wish we could talk to him about what happened last night."

"That's not all that's bothering you," replied Dom. "He is spending a lot of time with Kim."

Caitlin sighed. "It's okay," she replied. "It's just part of the job. When we leave here, he's mine."

Dom laughed. "I believe it," he said. "I talked to String briefly earlier. He'll meet us in the tool shed up by the north corral in an hour to talk about last night. He said he had some other things to fill us in on as well."

"Great," she replied. "I have some news of my own."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA

An hour later, Dom and Caitlin found Hawke waiting for them as promised in the tool shed. The shed was the size of a small cabin with only one tiny, high window. Caitlin was relieved to finally have a few minutes to talk to Hawke without Kim hovering beside him. To his surprise, she ran up to him, grabbed him and kissed him the moment she saw him.

"Wow, what was that for?" he asked.

"I've missed you," she replied with a smile. "It's hard to see you across the ranch and not be able to speak to you or touch you."

He pulled her back to him and kissed her again. "I know," he replied. "I feel the same way."

"Sheesh," said Dom. "Get a room why don't ya."

The three laughed before turning to a more serious conversation.

"I don't think last night's incident was an accident," said Hawke. "Someone deliberately made sure Dom was thrown from that horse."

Caitlin spoke up. "Actually, it was supposed to be me. That was originally my horse but Dom wanted to trade."

"Yeah," he replied. "That wasn't the smartest move on my part but I'm glad it was me instead of Caitlin."

"Hawke, you're right about it having to be an inside job," said Caitlin. "There is no way someone else could have gotten to those horses. I'm still trying to figure out how someone from the group could have done it as well."

"I know," said String. "The only two people who left the group for any period of time were Kim and Sarah. And, well, we know Kim wouldn't sabotage herself."

"Speaking of Sarah," said Caitlin. "Did you know that she's Kim's niece?"

"She is?" asked Dom. "Why didn't Kim tell us?"

"She told me this morning," replied Hawke. "I was surprised she didn't mention it when she introduced us."

"Well, they don't exactly have the best relationship according to Sarah," said Caitlin. "She plans on leaving as soon as she saves enough money. Sarah said they weren't very close."

Hawke frowned. "That's odd," he replied. "According to Kim they're very close. She said that Sarah's parents were killed and to keep her from getting into a lot of trouble back east, she asked her to come live here."

"I guess sometimes teens and adults don't look at things the same way," replied Caitlin. "Either way, Sarah does seem to like working here and she's not too concerned about the accidents that have been happening."

"Kim is very upset by the accidents," said String. "Apparently the staff is like family to her and she's worried about them. I've assured her that we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Any news on this land developer?" asked Dom.

"His name is Paul Lewis," replied Hawke. "He's planning to build some kind of amusement park in the area and wants this land as the centerpiece to it. Kim said she had considered it at first because it seemed like a good deal. She decided that she couldn't give up working with the kids and didn't want her staff displaced by losing their jobs and home."

"She seems like a real saint," Caitlin said sarcastically.

Hawke shot Caitlin a quizzical look. "She does care about her staff," he said. Then he continued. "Let's meet back here tomorrow night with updates on what we find out. Kim knows we're meeting but I would still like for the rest of the staff to think we don't know each other."

"Okay, sounds good," said Dom.

Hawke looked at Caitlin. He could tell she wasn't very happy about the current situation. He moved back over to her and pulled her into a kiss and then gave her a tight hug. "I love you," he said. "Don't worry. This will all be over with soon."

Caitlin smiled. "I love you too," she said.

Hawke, Dom and Caitlin quietly left the shed unaware that they were being watched by Kim who listened in on the whole conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Caitlin was exhausted after her first full day of working on the ranch. She sat down on her bed too tired to change clothes. Sarah was once again sitting on her bed reading.

"Tough day?" asked Sarah.

Caitlin fell back onto the bed. "Yeah, I think I found muscles that I didn't know I even had," she replied.

Sarah laughed. "You'll get use to it," she replied. "After awhile, it becomes kind of fun."

"Fun?" asked Caitlin. "Maybe that's because you're only nineteen."

"Seems to me you did have a little fun today," replied Sarah.

Caitlin sat up on one elbow and looked over at Sarah. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Come on now," she replied. "Every time Aunt Kim and her friend Hawke walked by I saw you checking him out. I don't blame you. He's a pretty sexy guy."

Caitlin blushed. "Sarah!" she yelled. "Okay, yeah, he's definitely my type," admitted Caitlin.

Sarah laughed. "Well, whatever you do," she said. "Don't let Kim catch you looking at him. She went ballistic when Lisa flirted with Mr. Lewis."

"Paul Lewis?" asked Caitlin. "That land developer?"

"Yeah," said Sarah. "Kim used to date him. That's when she was going to sell the land. It wasn't until he broke it off with her that she changed her mind. He still thinks Kim had something to do with Lisa's accident."

"Oh, I thought that happened after she refused to sell," said Caitlin.

"No, that happened just before," replied Sarah. "I don't know if Mr. Lewis is right about it or not but I wouldn't put it past Kim to do something like that. She's pretty protective over her men."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Caitlin. "Right now, I really need some sleep."

"Me too," said Sarah.

Sarah turned out the light in their room and Caitlin moved up to lay her head on the pillow at the top of the bed. Still dressed, she decided to wait until Sarah went to sleep to go and tell Dom what she had found out. "Her men?" she thought to herself. "He's not her man."

Meanwhile, back at Kim's living quarters in the main house, she had invited Hawke to join her for a glass of wine before calling it a night. Kim sat at one end of a long white couch while Hawke chose to sit in the large chair across from her.

"Oh, why not join me over here?" asked Kim. "It's much more comfortable than that old chair."

"I'm fine," replied Hawke. "I need to go and get some sleep in a minute. It's been a long day."

"Oh String, I'm so happy you came to help me," said Kim. "I feel a lot safer now that you're here."

Hawke smiled. "I'm glad," he replied. "Don't worry, we'll get this guy and he'll leave you alone for good."

Hawke stood up and placed his glass on the coffee table. "I guess I should call it a night," he said. "What time do you need me in the morning?"

Kim stood up and walked over to him. She slipped her arms around his neck. "Why don't you just stay the night with me and we'll get up together," she said as she reached up and kissed him.

String quickly pulled away from her. "Kim, I understand you're scared and you've been through a lot but I'm not the one to comfort you like that," he said. "I'm with Caitlin now."

Kim began to pout. "I know you said that String," she replied. "I'm sure she's a nice girl but she just doesn't seem like your type."

"She's exactly my type," he said. "Would you have gone to one of my ex-girlfriend's place to help them out? Not many women would but Caitlin did. That's the kind of person she is. That's the kind of woman I want in my life. I want to be with someone that cares as much about others as herself."

Kim frowned. "I'm sorry," she replied. "You're right. I'm just scared and you're here. I just thought we might still have a spark."

"Look Kim," he said. "Eventually you'll find the right guy for you. It's just not me. Right now, let's concentrate on getting whoever is causing all these accidents."

"Okay," she sighed. "I guess I'll go to bed now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied.

After leaving Kim, Hawke couldn't get Caitlin out of his mind. He decided he would go and see if he could sneak her out of bed and take a long walk under the moonlight. He missed her and felt the need to be near her. Hawke went around the back of the building to look into the window and see if she were still awake. As he peeked inside, he noticed she wasn't there. Before he could move away from the window, something hit him hard on the back of his head knocking him unconscious.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Caitlin waited until Sarah was asleep before slipping out of their room. She wanted to tell Dom and somehow get a message to Hawke about Kim and Paul Lewis. "How odd that she never mentioned they dated," she thought. "I can see how maybe an ex-boyfriend could be a problem. Hawke's ex-girlfriend is sure turning out to be one."

She quietly walked past the main stable towards Dom's sleeping quarters. Something quickly caught her attention. "Smoke," she thought. "I smell smoke." Caitlin looked to see smoke coming out from under the stable door.

"Fire!" she screamed as she went in the stable to get the horses out. When she entered the smoke was suddenly thick. She could hardly see as she made her way to the back stalls. To her surprise, most of the horses were missing. Only one remained. She led the horse out of its stall towards the front door. Before she reached the exit, someone hit her on the head from behind, knocking her to the ground. Hardly conscious, she got up and tried to get out of the stable. She could barely breathe from all of the smoke. Caitlin began coughing uncontrollably as she reached for the door only to find that it was locked. She pushed as hard as she could but it wouldn't budge. "Help! Help!" she screamed. "Somebody help me!" Finally, unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed to the ground.

Around the corner from the stable, Hawke began to regain consciousness. He found himself lying face down in the dirt. Slowly, he rolled himself over and attempted to shake the cobwebs from his head. "What happened?" he thought before reaching behind his head and feeling a slight lump. "Damn," he said as she slowly got to his feet.

Moments later he smelled smoke and heard the commotion coming from the stables. He ran around the building to see what was going on. The rest of the staff was using hoses to try and get the fire under control. Two of them were working on removing a lock that was placed on the outside of the door.

"Are all the horses still in there?" he asked.

"It looks like they're all in the corral," replied Sarah. "I don't know how they got there. Someone put a lock on the door. We're trying to get it off to make sure."

Hawke looked around and panic set in. "Where's Caitlin?" he asked.  
"I don't know," replied Sarah. "She wasn't in the room when I woke up. I thought she was already out here."

Hawke quickly helped the others remove the lock and opened the stable door. To his horror, Caitlin lay unconscious just inside. He ran in and gently picked her up and moved her outside to safety. Hawke checked her pulse and could barely find it. He realized she wasn't breathing. "She's taken in a lot of smoke," he thought.

String placed her flat on the ground and began mouth to mouth resuscitation. It seemed like an eternity to him before he finally realized that she was breathing, even if lightly, on her own. Moments later the paramedics took over. They placed an oxygen mask on Caitlin and began assessing his condition as well. Hawke suddenly realized that he was shaking uncontrollably and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"You're hyperventilating," said one of the paramedics. He gave him a small brown bag and told him to continue to breathe evenly into the bag.

Hawke felt like his world was crashing down around him. He tried to calm himself and breathe as the paramedic had instructed. He noticed Dom was by his side although he didn't know how long he had been there. Dom put his arm around String's shoulder. "Take it easy kid," he said. "You're going to be okay." A few minutes later he had his breathing under control.

String finally stood up with Dom's help and watched as they loaded Caitlin into the ambulance. The paramedic informed them that she had a slight concussion along with the smoke inhalation so they were taking her in for observation. They asked Hawke if he needed to go in as well but he declined, saying that he was okay. "Since I'm her uncle," said Dom. "I'm going in with her. I'll keep you posted on her condition."

Hawke hated to let Caitlin leave without him but he knew whatever was going on at the ranch was getting more dangerous and he had to keep his cover. He was more than determined now to prove that Paul Lewis was behind all of this.

An hour later the fire was completely out and the staff was helping to clean up as much as possible for the evening. They helped move the horses from the corral to the second stable.

Kim came over to check on Hawke as the fire marshal met up with her. "It looks like the fire was an accident," he said. "We found a cigarette butt in the back stall. Someone was pretty careless."

"Hawke does Caitlin smoke?" she asked.

"What?" Hawke was furious. "You think Caitlin did this?"

"Well, she was in the stable," said Kim. "Everyone else was in bed and no one on the staff smokes. It's my policy."

"Caitlin doesn't smoke and if she did, she wouldn't be that careless," he replied nearly yelling at her. "Someone did this on purpose and it nearly killed her. How else would you explain all the horses being in the corral this time of night?"

"Calm down String," replied Kim. "I just had to ask to cover all bases. This has to be Paul Lewis then. Who else would benefit from this?"

"I don't know," replied Hawke. "But I'm sure as hell going to find out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hawke tried to get some sleep after everything settled down and the rest of the staff went to bed. He tossed and turned but his mind kept focusing on Caitlin. He loved her so much. "How could I just let her go to the hospital without me?" he thought. "I know Dom is with her but I should be there too."

Finally after a sleepless hour, Hawke got up, jumped into Caitlin's car and headed to the hospital. He ached all over and wondered if he had made a mistake not allowing them to take him in as well. He stopped at a nearby gas station for directions and twenty minutes later he pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Hawke talked to one of the women at the information desk and found out where Caitlin's room was. She informed him that visitor hours were over but that he could still go up to that floor. String wasn't going to let that stop him. He found Dom sitting outside in the nearby waiting room. He was sound asleep and snoring loudly.

"Dom, wake up!" he said soundly.

Dom opened his eyes and looked at his friend. "It took me an hour to fall asleep," he said. "I thought you were going to wait for me to call?"

Hawke tried to smile. "How can you call when you're asleep? I was worried about her," he replied. "I couldn't sleep. I convinced the nurse to let me go in and see her. I just wanted to let you know I was here."

"And you couldn't have done that after you visited her?" asked Dom. "Now I'll never be able to get any sleep."

"I'm sure you'll manage," said String as he walked towards Caitlin's room.

Hawke slowly opened the door to Caitlin's room. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her. She was still being given oxygen but now had a nasal cannula. She seemed so pale and still to him. He walked over and pulled a chair up beside her bed and sat down. He picked her hand up and held it gently in his before falling asleep.

About an hour later String was startled awake by a sudden movement from Caitlin. She was moving her head back and forth on her pillow and began to cry out his name. Hawke jumped up quickly and sat on the bed with her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Shhh…Caitlin, you're okay," he said gently. "I'm right here."

Caitlin slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. "Hawke?" she said. "What happened?"

Hawke leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before brushing the hair out of her eyes. "You got caught in a fire in the stable," he replied. "Don't you remember?"

It took her few moments before responding. "Oh, yeah," she replied. "Someone hit me on the head and locked me in. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to die."

She looked up at String and could see the sadness in his eyes. "I'm okay though," she said. "Don't worry."

Hawke leaned over and this time kissed her on the lips. "I'm so sorry I got you into this," he said sadly. "It's my fault. We shouldn't have come here."

A thought suddenly had Caitlin in a panic. "Dom! Is Dom alright?" she asked.

"Take it easy," he replied. "He's asleep out in the waiting room."

"Oh," Caitlin smiled in relief. "What about you? You look kind of pale," she said. "Are you okay? Were you hurt too?"

Hawke relayed the events of the night to Caitlin including Kim's attempt to sleep with him. He didn't want to keep anything from Caitlin. Honesty meant everything to him. He also told her about getting hit on the head while trying to see her.

"I'm sorry but the fact that she tried to sleep with you doesn't surprise me Hawke," she said sarcastically. "It was easy to see that she still has a thing for you. By the way, was Sarah in the room when you got there?"

"Actually, no," replied String. "I didn't see anyone in the room. But, I only looked in for a moment before I was hit on the head. How did you end up in the stable?"

Caitlin filled him in on her conversation with Sarah including the fact that Kim had dated this land developer Paul Lewis and that Lisa's accident happened before she declined to sell the land. She also explained how she was on the way to tell Dom the information when she smelled smoke in the stable and went inside.

"I'm beginning to think that it's time to confront this Lewis guy about what's been going on," said Hawke. "We're getting nowhere at the ranch. Kim claims none of her staff are disgruntle or would do anything like that. She also had the nerve to ask me if you smoke."

"Well, if Sarah's right about her jealous tendency, she probably just wanted to discredit me," replied Caitlin. "I can't blame her you know. Sarah did say you were a sexy guy and well, she's right."

Hawke couldn't help but laugh. He felt relieved at seeing the smile on Caitlin's face. She was going to be alright. But, he decided from that point on he was going to watch over her more carefully.


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter is short but the rest will come shortly. I'm trying to keep my 10 chapter streak going. Sorry for the delay on this one. Another story keeps creeping into my head and I can't seem to get away from it._

**Chapter 8**

The next morning, Hawke dropped Caitlin and Dom off at the ranch and he headed out to pay a visit to Paul Lewis. The land developer had a spacious office in an upscale building in the center of town. Hawke stormed in and demanded to see Mr. Lewis. Although his secretary tried to stop him, he walked past her and entered is personal office.

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Mr. Lewis.

"My name is Stringfellow Hawke," he replied. "I'm here about the accidents that have been going on at Kim Miller's ranch since she decided not to sell out to you."

Lewis gave him a startled look. "What are you talking about? Those accidents have nothing to do with Kim not agreeing to sell to me," he replied.

"Well, it seems kind of strange that this all started because she wouldn't sell," said Hawke.

"Look, I don't want to be involved with Kim Miller or her ranch," he replied. "Yeah, when we were dating I thought it would be a good piece of land to showcase the entrance of my new amusement park. But, once we broke up, I found a new place. Kim knows that."

Hawke gave him a disapproving look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Kim was going to be my business partner. There were two pieces of land we were looking at and one was her ranch. When it didn't work out between us, I went with the other land. We broke up because of her crazy niece," he said. "I liked Kim but she was always trying to cover up for her. She nearly even killed my friend's daughter Lisa because she thought she was flirting with me. That girl is nuts. But Kim is loyal and she will do anything for Sarah."

"You're telling me that Sarah is responsible for what's been happening on the ranch?" asked Hawke.  
"Sarah or Kim," he replied. "Kim won't admit that Sarah is responsible for Lisa's accident. I think she's trying to cover it up by making new incidents. I've already talked to the police about this. There is no proof that I'm involved."

"How do I know you're not just making this up to cover for yourself?" asked Hawke.

"Go see Lisa," he replied. "I have nothing to hide. I have the land I need. I don't need Kim's ranch. I can even show you the papers to prove it."

"Show me," replied Hawke.

Lewis showed String all the plans for the new amusement park including the entrance that was in a different section of land from Kim's.

"Look, Mr. Hawke," he said. "If you're investigating these accidents, I hope you can prove they tried to hurt Lisa. She's sweet girl and didn't deserve what happened to her."

Hawke sighed. "I'll get back with you," he said. "In the mean time it would be best that Kim didn't know I came here."

"I understand," replied Lewis. "If there is anything I can do to help let me know."

"Can I use your phone?" he asked. "Sure, go ahead. I'll give you some privacy."

Paul left Hawke alone to make his call. He contacted Michael and asked him to search for any information possible on Paul Lewis, Kim and Sarah Miller.

"What's this about Hawke," asked Michael.

Hawke explained the events of the past few days and what he had learned from Paul. "Someone tried to kill Caitlin," he said. "I want to know who."

String gave him a number to reach him at the ranch and Michael promised the information as soon as possible.

Hawke grew more furious as he drove back to the ranch. "One of them purposely tried to kill Caitlin and they are going to pay for that," he thought. Then another thought crept in. "Caitlin and Dom are back there alone. I'd better get back to the ranch before anything else happens."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When Hawke got back to the ranch, Kim was there to greet him. "String, where have you been?" she asked. "I thought you would come back with Dom and Caitlin?"

"Well you were the one who said we had to keep separated so the staff wasn't aware we knew each other," he replied. "Besides, I was having lunch with an old doctor friend I ran into at the hospital. I hadn't seen him in years and had no idea he lived out this way."

Hawke hoped his lie would work. Kim just smiled at him. "Oh, okay. That's nice," she replied. "I'm glad to see that Caitlin is doing well."

Hawke smiled. "Yeah, she's doing great," he replied. "Now we just need to prove that Paul tried to kill her."

"How do we go about doing that?" asked Kim. "He seems to be good at covering up his tracks."

"I say we set a trap," replied Hawke.

"A trap?" she asked. "What sort of trap?"

"I'm still trying to figure out the details," he replied. "As soon as I work it out in my head, I'll give you all the information."  
Hawke hoped that what he told her would keep Kim off of his back for a little while until he could find out more information from Michael.

An hour later, String got the call. Michael informed him that Sarah had been in a mental institution right after her parents died and that Kim had taken her in as a guardian in order to have her released. He could find no information on Paul Lewis except that he was known as an outstanding and fair land developer. Hawke decided it was time to meet with Caitlin and Dom and devise a plan to flush Sarah and Kim out.

He found Dom in the staff kitchen assisting with lunch. "Hey," he whispered. "Find Caitlin and meet me at the tool shed in thirty minutes."

Dom shook his head and continued to work when the cook came back into the room.

Thirty minutes later Hawke paced back and forth in the shed waiting for Caitlin and Dom. Ten minutes when by before Dom showed up. "String, I can't find Cait," he said. "Sarah said she was in their room but left about hour ago."

"I don't like the sound of that," said String. He filled Dom in on all of the information he had found. "Let's go and see Sarah."

Hawke and Dom quickly walked back to Caitlin and Sarah's room. Sarah was sitting on her bed casually reading her book.

"Sarah, have you seen Caitlin?" he asked.

"Oh, not in some time?" she replied. "I think she mentioned that she was going to go horseback riding down to the lake."

String and Dom took off out of the room. They jumped onto two horses and headed to the lake as fast as the horses would go. When they got there they started calling out her name.

"Caitlin?" yelled Hawke. "Caitlin, where are you?"

"String, how do you know she's really even down here?" asked Dom.

"She's here," he said."If they've hurt her, they want it to look like an accident. Sarah wants us to find her."

Hawke and Dom continued to ride by the lake and call out Caitlin's name. A few moments later Dom saw something near the water. "String look," he yelled.

Dom and Hawke jumped off of their horses and ran over to Caitlin who was lying on her back near the water. They each went to one side of her and squatted down. She looked up at them and squinted to keep the sun out her eyes.

"Caitlin, are you alright?" Hawke asked.

She smiled up at them and then sat up. "I didn't think you'd ever get here," she replied. "Sarah thought she was smart. She hit me in the back. I fell and made her think that I was unconscious so she'd leave me alone. Then Kim came up and they were arguing."

"Are you hurt?" asked Hawke while helping her sit up.

"Just a little sore," she replied. Then she gave him a confused look. "You don't seem surprised by my story."

Hawke filled Caitlin in on the same information as he had Dom. "What were Kim and Sarah and arguing about," he asked.

"Kim told Sarah that she was tired of covering up for her and that they had better make what happened to me look like another accident," she replied. "They were trying to find a way to make you think this was connected to Paul."

"Well, guess we don't have to come up with a plan to trap them," said Hawke. "I think we have all the proof we need."

Before he could say another word, the trio heard several gunshots coming from the ranch. Dom jumped on his horse and Hawke helped Caitlin onto his. They quickly rode back to the ranch to find out the source of the shots.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When they got back up to the ranch, Hawke, Dom and Caitlin ran to Kim's living quarters where the rest of the staff had quickly gathered after hearing the shots.

One of the staff had a towel wrapped around the handle of a gun. "We've called for the police and an ambulance," the cook said. "But, I don't think Kim's going to make it."

Kim was lying in the middle of her living room floor. She had been shot in the stomach. Sarah was huddled in the corner of the room like a small scared child.

Hawke ran over and squatted down by Kim. "Kim, hang on," he said. "Help's on the way."

"No," she replied. "It's too late."

Hawke squeezed her hand. "No, just hold on."

"String," she nearly whispered. "Please make sure they take care of her. She didn't mean to do it. She doesn't know what she's doing. I tried so hard to help. I'm sorry for getting you involved. I never meant for Caitlin to get hurt. I didn't know she went into the stable. I was just trying to help Sarah."

"I know," he said. "Kim, you're not going to die. Just hang on."

"Promise me you'll make sure they take care of her String," she said again. "Please."

He finally gave in. "I promise," he replied.

"You were right," she said. "Caitlin is the right one for you. I would have never helped an ex-girlfriend."

Kim closed her eyes and passed out. She died a few moments later.

The police arrived and took Sarah away. They found that the two had been arguing over what happened to Caitlin when Sarah decided to shoot her aunt. They took statements from everyone and advised Hawke that they would be in touch if they had further questions.

Hawke walked out of the home and sat down on a bench by the stable. Caitlin followed him out and sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry Hawke," she said. "How sad that all she wanted to do was help her niece and she ended up dying because of it."

"I know," he said. "Sometimes life doesn't make any sense."

Hawke stopped and stared at Caitlin. He didn't know how he had gotten so lucky in finding her. She had been hurt helping him with an ex-girlfriend yet she was concerned about him and Kim instead of what had happened to her.

Caitlin noticed he was staring at her. "What?" she asked. "Why are you staring?"

Hawke smiled. "I was just trying to figure out what I did right?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He pulled her to him and kissed her before hugging her tightly. "How did I find someone so perfect for me as you?" he asked.

Caitlin blushed. "I feel the same way you know?"

Hawke noticed Caitlin's eyes had lost their usual spark. "You look tired," he said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Caitlin pulled him back into another hug and snuggled in his arms. "I'm a little sore. Yeah, I guess I could use some sleep," she said.

"Let's get you home so you can soak in a hot bath before bed," he replied. "You deserve a little pampering and I'm just the guy to do it."

Caitlin didn't argue with him on that. She felt her eyes getting heavy and all she wanted to do was sleep.

Dom offered to drive as they climbed into Caitlin's car and headed home. String sat in the back seat with Caitlin and allowed her to snuggle up to him and rest her head on his chest. She fell asleep before they even made it to the interstate.

Dom looked at them through the rear view mirror and smiled. "That's some girl we have there huh String?" he asked.

Hawke sighed. "Sure is," he said. "I don't know what I'd do without her. I've made some bad choices with women over the years but somehow this time I got it right."

The End


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